‘Three idiots clean bowled’: Former Bastar IG pokes fun over transfer of top cops

RAIPUR: After his recent transfer from Bastar, Chhattisgarh’s Inspector General of Police S R P Kalluri took a potshot over transfer of his two other superintendents of police from Bastar by circulating a photograph of three of them with a note “Three idiots, clean bowled”, along with three similes.

The state government late on Friday night had transferred Bastar superintendent of police R N Dash and Sukma superintendent of police Indira Kalyan Elesela — both considered as confidants of Kalluri during his tenure as Bastar IG. Dash has been shifted to Balodabazar district while IK Elesela has been shifted to Special Investigation Branch (SIB) at Raipur.

Around 1 AM, then Bastar IG SRP Kalluri—now posted at the police headquarters without any specific assignment—circulated a photograph that showed he and two other officers in civil dress with a note “Three idiots, clean bowled”. By early morning, the photographs went viral on the social media with hilarious comments and many activists welcoming the shifting of officers close to Kalluri. One of the social media comments described it as Kalluri’s self -depreciating humour.

Earlier, there were indications that superintendents of police in Bastar region, who stood with Kalluri during his relentless fight against the Maoists as well as activists raising their voice against human rights violations by the security forces, could be shifted from Bastar soon. However, Sukma SP’s recent reported remarks that human rights organisations should be run over by vehicles seemed to be prompted the state government to transfer out the two SPs of Bastar region.

According to local media reports in Bastar, SP IK Elsela made the alleged remark during launch of a vehicle showroom in Jagdalpur on Thursday where former IG SRP Kalluri and Bastar SP R N Dash were also present. Elsela was quoted by local media as saying that police were working to make roads fit for new-age vehicles, and that human rights organisations should be “run over by these new vehicles”.
During his tenure as Bastar IG, SRP Kalluri had invited the wrath of human rights and other activists after local vigilante groups organised protests against them and even threatened them, accusing them of being Maoist sympathizers after they raised issues of human rights violations by the security forces. Activists, however, alleged that these groups had the backing of police and were floated at the behest of then IG S R P Kalluri.